No. 8 Oklahoma defeats No. 23 Missouri 17-6, moves closer to possible College Football Playoff spot

NORMAN, Okla (AP) — John Mateer threw two touchdown passes, and No. 8 Oklahoma defeated No. 23 Missouri 17-6 on Saturday to inch closer to a College Football Playoff spot.

Mateer went 14 for 30 passing for 173 yards and ran for 60 yards. Isaiah Sategna caught three passes for 109 yards for the Sooners (9-2, 5-2 SEC, No. 8 CFP), who likely will make the playoff field with a win at home against LSU next Saturday.

Oklahoma held the Tigers (7-4, 3-4, No. 22 CFP) to 301 yards and shut them out in the second half. The Sooners, coming off road wins over Tennessee and Alabama, claimed their third straight victory over a ranked opponent and their fifth over a team that was ranked when they played.

Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy, who led FBS with 134.6 yards rushing per game and ran for 300 yards and three touchdowns against Mississippi State last week, finished with 57 yards on 17 carries. Kevin Coleman Jr. caught seven passes for 115 yards for the Tigers.

Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula, who dislocated his left ankle last month against Vanderbilt and missed three games, returned on Saturday. He went 20 for 36 passing for 231 yards with two interceptions.

Missouri took a 3-0 lead and tried to extend the advantage to six before Oklahoma’s Peyton Bowen blocked Robert Meyer’s 35-yard field-goal attempt. On the second play after the Sooners gained possession, Sategna turned a short catch into an 87-yard touchdown that put the Sooners up 7-3.

Mateer connected with Javonnie Gibson for an 8-yard score that made it 14-3, and Oklahoma’s lead was 14-6 at halftime.

With Oklahoma up 17-6 in the third quarter, Sooner defensive back Reggie Powers III was ejected for targeting on what would have been a critical third-down stop. His teammate, Jacobe Johnson, intercepted Pribula on the next play to maintain Oklahoma’s momentum.

The takeaway

Missouri: The Tigers couldn’t get their run game going against Oklahoma’s dominant defensive front, and Pribula was sacked four times and constantly pressured.

Oklahoma: Mateer’s stats don’t jump off the page, but his tendency to make timely plays gave the Sooners just enough to get by. Oklahoma gained just 276 yards, but the Sooners ran out the clock late.

Up next

Missouri: At Arkansas next Saturday.

Oklahoma: Hosts LSU next Saturday.

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